Government announces historic investments for Vila da Barca in sanitation management contract signing ceremony
Belém community will have new water supply and sewage collection networks
Governor Helder Barbalho announced, this Monday (14), a project for the transformation of sanitation for Vila da Barca, in Belém. The area will be one of the first to benefit from the change in the State's sanitation management model, which was officially formalized with the signing of the contract with the company Águas do Pará, part of the Aegea group, after an auction held in April this year.
State Governor Helder Barbalho highlighted the moment as historic and a first step for the people of Pará to have a better quality of life through basic sanitation. "We are starting to turn the tide in the history of the level of sanitation coverage in the State, which still presents challenging numbers today. The concession solution demonstrates that we are addressing this issue correctly and assertively. But, beyond that, it points to the revival of hope for the people of Pará to see homes with access to water, sewage, and certainly, the symbolism of Vila da Barca as the first step in this journey could not be more relevant and important," said Helder Barbalho.
The transformation of sanitation in Vila da Barca includes the expansion of the water supply structure and the implementation of a new domestic sewage collection network. The new water system is expected to be delivered by October of this year, and the sewage system within 8 months of construction.
The two projects will benefit families residing in masonry homes and the stilt houses in the area, who will have an active role in the projects, as explained by André Facó, president of Águas do Pará. "All this type of work starts with a social dialogue with the community. At the same time, we are already working on a technical engineering project, both for water and sewage. It is a challenge because there are areas with stilt houses, but we will use a technology that we have already used in Manaus," said André Facó.
Present at the ceremony, the mayor of Belém, Igor Normando, recalled that "for decades Vila da Barca has longed and dreamed of having sanitation" and that the signing of the concession contract will go down in history as "a great achievement and a moment of great satisfaction because it is dignity arriving for those who need it most."
President of the Vila da Barca Residents' Association, Gerson Bruno dos Santos celebrated the announcement of improvements for the centenary community, which has the resilience and life under stilt houses as its marks. "First of all, this is a historic moment for the Vila da Barca community. So that we can start turning the page of history by bringing not only water but also sanitation. This is a crucial problem for this city and is being addressed by the Government with this very important initiative for us," said the community leader.
A resident of Vila da Barca for 45 years, Eranildes Lobato says she has renewed hopes of "seeing water that is of quality, having water in the tap, water in the shower, and being able to live with dignity just as we deserve," revealed Eranildes.
Sanitation management - With the signing of the contract between the State Government and Água do Pará, the 99 municipalities covered in the bidding process held in April move to the phase of assisted operation, with a gradual transition of management of the existing systems. According to studies conducted by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), investments for improving the existing water and sewage structures in these cities will exceed R$ 15.2 billion and will benefit more than 4.3 million people.
Cosanpa - The Pará Sanitation Company (Cosanpa) remains the public company responsible for producing water for more than 2 million people residing in Belém, Ananindeua, and Marituba, from the Bolonha Complex and underground wells. In these cities, the distribution of this water will be carried out by the new concessionaire, as well as the collection and treatment of sewage.
Currently, Cosanpa has ongoing projects for the reconstruction and modernization of the infrastructure and systems in operation at the Bolonha Complex, including intake and distribution pumps, treatment tanks, and monitoring devices.
